Week in Review

Random Happenings in Surf for the Week of May 30

This week we were completely consumed with finishing the Big Issue (on newsstands July 1), and missed out on some sort-of-interesting occurrences in the surf world. Here’s a Cliff’s Notes version in case you missed out too.

Wise Words of the Week
Clay Marzo’s Twitter feed is still the primary Internet source for profound insight.

Occy No Longer Dancing
After a few weeks on the show, Occy was finally eliminated from Australia’s Dancing with the Stars. When asked whether he will keep dancing after the show, the answer was a definitive “No.”http://www.youtube.com/embed/-6P0NNBw04E

Albee Layer Got Sophisticated by a Fireplace
He also won the first round of Innersection.

Dorian Revolutionizes the Big-Wave Wetsuit
Shane Dorian, in collaboration with Billabong Wetsuits and Mustang Survival Corporation, created the first wetsuit with a built-in instantly inflatable air bladder. According to the press release, “with a quick tug on a ripcord, the wetsuit quickly lifts the wearer from deep underwater to the surface.” The press release goes on to describe Dorian’s test-drive of the suit at Jaws where “Dorian pulled into the biggest tube of all time and failed to come out, he was pounded by the wave and driven deep underwater, where he deployed the Billabong V1 inflation mechanism. He rocketed to the surface and climbed back onto his surfboard, paddling off to the channel.” The patent registration is currently pending.http://www.youtube.com/embed/rVDpqkrUV_Y

Nike Takes it Mainstream
This week Nike invited people to RSVP to watch a commercial. They created a trailer for a commercial. They created a Facebook page for the commercial. And then on Thursday, after we were all losing sleep in anticipation for its release, Nike premiered it’s new The Chosen campaign commercial. The three-minute and 30-second version of the commercial also had a 23-minute behind-the-scenes of the commercial. Nike will also release a 3-D version of the commercial that will be shown on the Fourth of July weekend in movie theaters. That spot will be shown on television on Sunday during the third game of the National Basketball Association finals. According to The New York Times, “action sports are a $390 million business for Nike, and executives hope that figure doubles over the next five years.”http://www.youtube.com/embed/I9B5fkWjnDI